


We'll dance on the moonlight

by Istilldontcareaboutmyname



Series: The King, the General and the Princess [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: And I tend to mess up even the other two, Back at it again with the OCs, Bogus Biology, But this bitch always gets new ideas, Canon Rewrite, Canon?, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I made Urahara's backstory worse, I'm Sorry, Maybe a 'going to the beach' chapter?, Multi, Past Prostitution, Please tell me if I make mistakes, The one without the OC, Threesome - F/M/M, What Canon?, Yoruichi and Kisuke are cousins, english is my third language, for now, i finished it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:34:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26357281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Istilldontcareaboutmyname/pseuds/Istilldontcareaboutmyname
Summary: “We're kidnapping you.” This was the first time both of them came to the shop out of their own will. Urahara blinked up at them from his notes, not hiding his surprise all that well.“I beg your pardon?”“You will be spending the day with us. Out of your little lab and away from the shop.” Lilly told him matter of factly as Ichigo went to pull him up to his feet.
Relationships: Kurosaki Ichigo/Original Female Character, Kurosaki Ichigo/Urahara Kisuke, Kurosaki Ichigo/Urahara Kisuke/Original Female Character, Urahara Kisuke/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The King, the General and the Princess [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972708
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	1. In which a river in Japan brings together people

**Author's Note:**

> From the maker of the Princess-headcanon, where Ichigo starts calling Urahara 'Princess' (Someone please expand it, I haven't seen or read Bleach in a WHILE), comes this gem. Lilly is my OC, along with her Zanpakuto spirit, who's only mentioned. According to a post on my Tumblr, where I try to explain some of my works, they are: "Horus and Lucifer, my OCs. They are retired assassins, who gained powers when the organization they worked for experimented on them. They rebelled, led by Lucifer, destroyed the organization, and now are on an inter-dimensional field trip.  
> Lucifer was inspired by the Cheshire Cat. At their very nature, they are a cloud with powers that connects dimensions together  
> They can act around only in the perimeters given to them by the Fates  
> They have shapeshifting abilities and can bend the dimension they are in at their own will  
> Usually female, because it's easier to blend in and go unnoticed. But they can't have children  
> You could say they are my 'Mary Sue'. And in a way, yes. Lucifer is the ultimate Mary Sue, who can adapt to any fandom/dimension because they need a body from that world to enter it, but I don't really like centring the story around how their love life with the main character would look like  
> Horus is much simpler. He's just the Egyptian god, in a human body  
> He most often loves Lucifer, sex, and the unsuspecting person who helps him get over losing Lucifer  
> Except for my Bleach Au, where he's a Zanpakuto"

Lillian Blackmoor wakes up with a gasp, paramedics appearing in her blurry vision. There are voices she can barely hear, her arms and legs feel numb and there are flashing lights every time she closes her eyes. She waits, for the familiar burn of wounds healing and body-parts reshaping, but it never came. She was not healing. The pain remained, the world was still blurry and muted around her senses. She could have cried in relief. She wasn't Lucifer anymore.

She's the only survivor of a horrific car crash, alive by what seems like a miracle. She spends months in recovery, grieving and getting herself familiarized with the history of her new family. Apparently, they came from the Eastern parts of Europe, but had Asian and African roots too, and moved to England a century ago, afraid of what the political changes would do to their family. There were old books atop of even older books, pictures and old documents, and a section on necromancy that she was not ready to touch yet. 'Lilly' was the sole owner of all of these now, becoming the head of the family, losing both of her older siblings and an uncle who was next-in-line to the title.

She's only sixteen, fighting for her inheritance and graduating high-school early, just so she can escape any potential tragedy that could befall on the people close to her.

* * *

She's eighteen when she wakes up with a Zanpakuto clutched in her hands. Alex, someone she was not particularly close with this time, is standing at the foot of her bed, the pale morning light shining through him. What was he doing in Brazil? And what was up with the sword?

There was another accident, taking out an entire school bus full of her now senior classmates. Horus joins her on her journey, and she spends her day clutching the blade close to her, crying.

_Asagiri_ , she calls the sword. For the rising sun of Horus and the misty depths of her being. For the pale morning light that brought them together, that showed her that life was one of the most fragile things she could ever hold. His form wraps around her will, gaining wings, armour and glowing eyes, dark figure looming over her protectively and fire licking at her senses, begging her to release it and lead it into battle.

* * *

Something pulls her to Japan. She resists it for a year, then she jumps onto the first plane to Tokyo. They gallivant across the country until they stumble upon a bright-haired kid staring into a river. Lilly has no idea what town they are in, something starting with a 'K', but she still buys an apartment, feeling finally settled there. And the boy she meets the next day makes the feeling only grow stronger. Horus also hums contently when she turns towards the riverbank, nearly running over a man searching for something in his pockets.

“I never thought a river would deserve such a heated glare, but you never know what these slippery fuckers do in their free time.” He blinks at her, confused, complexion pale. Even her, who's barely capable of sensing spiritual pressure or whatever it is called, can see and feel that something's wrong, Horus rolling around her skin, ready to right all of the wrongs and help him.

“I'm not interested in whatever shit you're selling, lady.” It's her turn to stare at him, only to burst out laughing.

“Sorry, Bakaoni, but you have to work for my goods.” She plops down next to him, extending a hand. “I'm Lilly and I have no fucking idea what town we're in right now.”

“Ichigo. And I have no fucking idea why you started talking to me.”

“You are all alone in this fine evening, just like moi. And for some weird reason, both Asagiri and I are drawn to you.”

“Asagiri?”

“A blade that's somehow linked to my soul. I just woke up with him in my hands one day.” His expression darkens, and she may have fucked up with oversharing.

“So you're one of them.” Her confusion must have shown on her expression, because Ichigo sighed, expression turning pinched. “A Shinigami.”

“Why the fuck would I be a Grim Reaper?” And with that, they kick-start their relationship. Ichigo bursts out laughing at her expression. He then launches into a detailed explanation of a whole-ass world she had no idea existed. They migrate from the riverbank to a nearby cafe, moving away from the presence watching them. In exchange, she tells him about her original dimension, with a whispered “ _I'm not good Ichigo. And now, that I think about it, I never was”,_ however, the boy just shrugs, accepting her.


	2. After all, they are just teenagers in love

Their fall for each other happens almost unnoticed. Somehow, Ichigo's clothes migrate into her closet and there are new cups in the Kurosaki's kitchen. She invites him to spar with her, trying to help him as much as she can. Ichigo always knows to wear long sleeves under his sweaters when the weather is cold, because Lilly always forgets she can't regulate her temperature anymore, and she always buys two drinks because their taste in teas and juices is similar.

They spend nights sprawled out on her couch, debating European literature, or trying to beat the other in MarioKart and other competitive video games. Ichigo asks her out when they're making dinner, and Lilly, in her surprise, blurts out “ _I don't like kissing_.”

“Kissing in general or...?”

“On the mouth. With tongue. Pecks are fine.” She puts down the salad dressing clutched in her hands, reaching for the chopped tomatoes. “And yes, I'd like to go out with you.”

* * *

One evening, when they are cuddling in bed, Ichigo tells her how he lost his powers. He's shaking in her arms, and Lilly pulls him closer, pressing her lips to his hair.

“Love, it's not your fault. You were pushed into a war by forces outside your reach. I'm just glad you're still here.” Her shirt was soaked, but Ichigo seemed calmer. However, there were some aspects of the story she was worried about. Why would a Shinigami just give up his powers for a random mortal? And what was the extent of that 'Urahara' guys influence on Ichigo's role in that clusterfuck?

* * *

They are trying to decide in which direction had Ichigo's friends disappeared to when Lilly spots a pale head wearing a striped bucket hat in the distance. Pulling on his sleeve, she pointed towards his general direction.

“Do you think they went over there to watch the dancers?” His eyes widen, and she digs her nails into his wrist, and his expression turns contemplative.

“Maybe. You think we should search there?” He raises an eyebrow, looking down at her. A smirk blossoms across her face, moving her hand to interlink their fingers.

“Sure, it won't hurt to look.” He started walking towards that direction, shoulders brushing and cheeks pink from the heat of the masses. Two booths away from where the blond and his associates were, she stops, pointing at the painted masks displayed there.

“Let's get a pair. Then you'll finally live up to your name, Bakaoni.”

“Shame my friends can recognize us by our hair, Bakaneko.” She could feel eyes on her, just as Ichigo let go of her hand to walk up to the seller. He returns with two fox-masks, one painted blue and the other red. “Compromise?”

“Compromise. I like the red one, reminds me of your hair. And it even has your glare.” He scoffed, tossing said red mask at her. Then he bent down, kissing her forehead.

“He seems to be shocked by us.” was mumbled against her skin as he led her away, proprietary hand placed onto the small of her back.

“What can I say, we make a striking couple.” She murmured, getting up to her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. Looks like she rubbed off on her dear boyfriend.

“How come he didn't notice your Reiatsu?”

“I'm hiding it. First thing I did when I became aware of it was to reel it in. I wouldn't be a great assassin if I would be noticed from miles away.” He nodded, steering her towards the direction Keigo was waving at them.

* * *

Lilly turned the corner only to see Ichigo waiting for her, sweater held out in her general direction. She quickened her steps, trying to not spill their teas, only noticing Inoue and Arisawa talking to her boyfriend when he was only a few feet away.

Extending his other hand, he grabbed one of the cups. It took some maneuvering to get the sweater on without putting down her tea, being rewarded with a peck when she's finally done.

“Hey, hon. And hi girls.” The Inoue girl looked a bit pale, watching them interact as a couple, but still began to chat with her, Arisawa joining in with a barely hidden sneer.

“Nice pants, love.” It was a dark pair of jeans, one side decorated with white stars and moons she had gotten the day before.

“Thanks, they were half off.”

“Bet I can get them full off later.” He raised one of his eyebrows in a smug look.

“You've learned to flirt!” She toasted him, both of them snickering at their antics.

* * *

“When you get your powers back, I want to beat Urahara Kisuke's ass,” Lilly tells him one morning over coffee. Ichigo blinks at her over the rim of his cup, still mostly asleep.

“Any particular reason you want to flambe his ass only after my powers will be back?”

“So you'll be able to see it.”

“Well, ain't that touching. Sure. Can't wait to see you in action.” She loved this man.

* * *

A year into their relationship, Ichigo gets his powers back, just in time to beat up some ex-Shinigami's that wanted chaos.

“Are you up for a spar with Lilly? She still hasn't adapted to using her Zanpakuto.” Partly a truth, partly a lie. Just to hook Urahara into fighting his girlfriend. She's pretty sure he can feel her, invisible and only a soul, watching over them out of worry.

“I might be persuaded.” Cocky schmuck. He's a scientist, of course, he'll jump at the chance to gather new information.


	3. Sometimes, concern burns brighter than dislike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda mature themes ahead with mentioned past prostitution. I'm sorry.

“ _Hunt_ , Asagiri.” She whispers, and mist spreads around them, barely translucent and pale lavender. Urahara's eyes widen when she attacks, hands empty of any weapon. The mist molds easily into weapons, changing with her every whim. Benihime is unsealed, only Kidou and Hakuda not being able to hold her back.

“That's an interesting Shikai you've got there, Lilly-san.” He tells her, smile fake and worry shadowing his features. She can feel Ichigo scoff at them, safely behind the strongest Kidou barrier they could put up.

“And this is just his base form. What will you do if I release Asagiri's Bankai?” Her tone is pleasant, her arrows destroying the stone as they follow his tracks.

“Unfortunately, we'll only know when you do it.” He dodges again, being only hit by the debris her strike caused. The war hammer is heavy in her hand, a steady weight that still pulses with power screaming to be released. There's a cut on her arm when she forgot to dodge, and one of her legs might be sprained, but she still looks better off than the shopkeeper.

“Guess I'll just have to entertain you with other means.” With a simple flick of her wrist, the hammer dissolves, and she pulls out two khopeshes from the mist. “Yaketsuku, Asagiri.”

With that simple command, his worry becomes almost palpable for Ichigo too, judging by her boyfriend's expression, eyes trained onto the flaming blades. She moves, slipping through dimensions to appear behind him, blades raised to strike. Urahara evades the weapons, the flames, however, expand suddenly, like two blazing suns trapped in metal. She wins the fight.

* * *

“Does he really not know that food exists?” The blond is skin and bones. Ichigo can haul him up to his room with ease. They strip him from his charred clothes, and she swears they could use him to learn about the human skeleton.

“Pretty sure that's why Tessai is here for.” Ichigo scoffs at the unconscious man in the bathtub.

“Scientists...I swear to the gods.” She could feel a massive headache coming, and by the looks of it, Ichigo was too.

“I'll clean him up if you find him something to wear.”

“Don't grope him. We don't want blackmail and lawsuits.” They part with a one-fingered salute, Lilly diving back into the barely used bedroom in search for clothes.

* * *

The Snufkin-reject apparently only has green and black clothes. Lilly lets out an annoyed huff, moving around hangers aimlessly when she spots bright colours showed into the darkest corner of the closet. She shouldn't look. It's none of her business. If curiosity kills this cat, there's no guarantee that she'll be able to come back.

With a slightly shaking hand, she reaches for the brightly coloured clothes, pulling out flowery kimonos that feel like they belong to the last century. Moving her head closer, the lingering scent of frustration and sex hits her, intermingled with the stink of despair and blood with something flowery she couldn't quite place, bringing up vague memories of missions full of sweaty bodies and broken minds.

Stepping away from the clothes, she rearranges herself and turns towards the bathroom. She needs another opinion.

“Mind swapping? I have no bloody idea what's what between all of those out of style clothes.”

“Sure. You just have to wash his hair now.” Giving him her best 'we'll talk later' look, Lilly turns towards the bathtub.

* * *

“Those were robes worn by prostitutes.” They're in her kitchen, waiting for the water to boil.

“I smelled it on them. But I wasn't sure.” She busied herself with pulling their cups out while Ichigo got the milk out of the fridge. “Maybe they belonged to that woman and she couldn't bear to be around them anymore?”

“Nah. Yoruichi would never lower herself to selling her body. Urahara on the other hand...Maybe we could interrogate Shinji. If I remember correctly, they used to live together.”

“Good thing I'll have to visit my supposed head of family soon.”

“Still can't get over how you're somehow related to Byakuya.”

“From what you told me about the guy, me neither.” 

* * *

“Can I help you?” She settled in front of the Captain of the 5th Division, smiling softly at Hirako Shinji.

“I just wanted to meet my boyfriend's other mentor, Captain Hirako Shinji.” He smiled back at her, with just as much teeth.

“So you must be Ichigo's little girlfriend, Lilly-chan.” In spirit form, accessing her powers was a lot easier, however, transitioning things outside her body across dimensions was now much more noticeable. “What did you do?”

“Made sure we wouldn't be disturbed. After all, I want to talk about some sensitive matters with you.”

* * *

“Apparently, he knows nothing.” Burrowing into Ichigo's side as he worked on his homework, Lilly pulled the plush blanket over them. It was a cold night. “However, he did mention that 'it was just like Kisuke to use all of his resources'. And he said he'd look into things.”

“That still doesn't make it acceptable. Did you find out what that flowery scent was?”

“Tansy. Most popularly used in 'moon tea', which is Soul Society's version of birth control and plan B.” She felt Ichigo stiffen, then lean against her heavier.

“That's...”

“I know. I...” Her hands were shaking. She never had to worry about children. Even now, when her previous powers given to her by the chip were gone, she was still sterile. The crash had wrecked her, giving her the scars she'd given to herself before, and taking away her fertility. But she did remember her teammates struggling. The empty pill bottles and just as empty looks, of continuous interventions and hunched over children, in pain. “It's never pretty. Even knowing about it is bad.”

“I just want to beat up some people.”

“Me too. But that won't help with anything.”


	4. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was this relationship

“My wards can't keep you out?”

“Honey, I can't be kept out of anything.” She told the scientist standing in the doorway. Turning the page in her book, she silently cursed choosing to take anthropology as her major.

“You must be a menace to deal with.” He told her, closing the door behind him. She looked up long enough to give the shopkeeper a cheeky grin, then turned back to her textbook.

“Good thing Ichigo loves me the way I am.”

“Oh yeah, the most unlikely loverboy out there. Where is he right now?”

“School. I think in Chemistry. I was bored and my classes cancelled for today.”

“And you thought that I would be good company?”

“For some reason, Ichigo likes you, and I want to know why.”

“And yet, he's dating you.” _Oooh, clap back_. Maybe he was salty from the previous beating? And was that mixed with jealousy? She could work with this.

“That's an even bigger mystery...By the way, I brought us lunch.”

* * *

“I didn't think I needed sitters, Kurosaki-kun.”

“I would have believed that. If Lilly's first question upon seeing you for the first time would have been anything other than ' _does he know food and sleep are necessities and not something you can live without?_ '” Ichigo told the shopkeeper, moving to attack from another angle and dropping out of the way of a Hadou spell.

“I still don't need two brats to take care of me,” Urahara responded, blocking Zangetsu.

“Your appearance tells another story. Being locked up in that lab for days is not good for you, Hats-and-Clogs.”

“Maybe, Kurosaki-kun, but you shouldn't be worrying about me. And your moves got more fluid.”

“Just accept it that both of us are on your case. I can speak for both of us when I tell you that we're not going to drop it anytime soon.” Or until Lilly finally gets your file from the Onmi. “And you saw what I had to go up against for a year now.”

* * *

“Guess who's the bastard cousin of the Shihoin clan head?”

“Urahara.” Ichigo groans when she walks in after a successful visit to Soul Society. Lilly can already spot the cogs turning in his head, and he starts talking again before she can share more of her findings. “And since Yoruichi turns into a male cat when transformed, this would explain his need for moon tea. He wasn't trained with his transformation.”

“Exactly. And this would also explain his wardrobe choices. Dude's father really liked cheap releases. According to his file, he doesn't remember anything about his poor mother or the brothel she tried to raise him in.”

“What happened to them? Outside intervention?”

“Most likely. Place burned down and she died saving her son.”

“How convenient,” Ichigo mutters, accepting the folder she hands him. “And let me guess, he wasn't supposed to survive it.”

“Bingo.”

* * *

“Where's your annoying half?”

“Trying to convince Captain Unohana to take her in as a student. Or talking with the builders. Depends on what time is it.” He'd spent the whole day at the shop, pouring over the scroll containing the Shiba clans history.

“She could have asked me if she wanted to learn about healing so badly.” That statement made him freeze. Their plan might have had unforeseen side-effects. 

“Are you jealous, Hats-and-Clogs?” Noting where he was, he rolled the scroll back up with a carefree smile. The letters were starting to dance across his vision. “And besides, she's not driven by pure academical interest.”

“Oh, pray tell, Kurosaki-kun. Why would Lilly-chan wish to talk with Unohana-taichou then?”

“Don't play dumb. She's gathering allies. Given her status as a possibly illegal Shinigami, even if she's a member of the Kuchiki clan and the fact that I seem to be a mix of everything under the sun,” he didn't miss the slight widening of eyes under the shadow of the hat, “we need people to stand by us. Even if I get appointed heir of the clan by Kūkaku, Central 46 could still move against us and win.”

“Why, Kurosaki-kun, that sounds like a well thought out plan. Colour me amazed.” The fan appeared to hide his expression, gaining a small twitch out of Ichigo.

“Don't credit me. Lilly spent a lot of time working on this and networking. Figuring out who could we trust was really the hardest part.”

“Am I among those?”

“I'm talking to you about this, aren't I?” Tessai walked in, placing down a tray with tea on the table. “We had long talks about it. She has a similar background to yours and has a vague idea of what you'd done after you got exiled. You embody everything Lilly hates. A willing lamb in the slaughter-house. A scientist who would do anything to reach a good conclusion. Someone who considered the people around him more pawns than human.”

“Those are quite harsh observations.”

“She managed to prove all of them right so far.” Urahara's shoulders stiffened, and he hid his face with his fan and his hat. “Dating someone who can zip across dimensions as easily as breathing has its perks. At least she began to trust you now, and that's a big win in my books.”

“You're full of surprises, Kurosaki-kun.”


	5. There's a storm brewing over the horizon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo's "Bakaoni" thanks to his scowl, which makes him, according to Lilly, look like an angry demon, Lilly is "Bakaneko" because Ichigo wasn't feeling creative and she was lounging around on the bed as a cat, and Kisuke is "Bakainu" because he's too loyal(Ichigo) and has dulled fangs, according to a still fresh from her previous career Lilly

Ichigo knew he had a beautiful girlfriend. Even if she wasn't as well endowed as Inoue, or had the same levels of sensuality as Matsumoto and Yoruichi, Lilly had a ferocious, animalistic aura around her, reminding him of Hollows. It drew him in, like a moth drawn to a fire, and now, that he was so used to her presence and magnetism, he could notice other people falling for her. Lilly had burst out laughing, telling him it was her blades powers at work. Horus, and Asagiri by extension, drew people to him with his divine powers, and Urahara was her newest victim, oblivious to his growing fondness of her. Just like Urahara didn't notice his feelings for Ichigo.

He might have taken over too many of Lilly's habits because he needed to hide his face in her ponytail to not burst out laughing. Renji and Rukia were almost falling over themselves while watching her every move. The purple dress really looked good on her, bringing out her eyes and giving her more curves. Even Urahara seemed more distracted.

“That's easy to solve, however it'll take time, which we don't exactly have today. Can we continue tomorrow, when we don't have a reservation to get to?” She told them, position demure and smile warm and open, almost encouraging. And the Shinigami ate it up like she wouldn't slit their throats with the same expression. When she was dealing with diplomatic matters, she reminded him of a tiger closing in on its prey, all while acting like the noble lady she was. These were the moments she resembled Byakuya the most. “I hope, dear cousin, that you'll understand my reasoning.”

“O-of course! We wouldn't want to inconvenience you needlessly.” Rukia's cheeks were flaming, while Renji looked ready to say something. However, by putting a bit of power into it, Ichigo silenced him with a glare. They got up from the table with small bows, excusing themselves. But they didn't go straight to the door, opting to walk up to Urahara, trapping him from both sides.

“If anyone from Soul Society comes to bother you, please notify us.” He told him, placing a hand on his shoulder, feeling it tense under his touch.

“And don't be afraid to contact us if these two start causing trouble.” Her mouth was a breath away from his ear, however, she chose to pat his head, touch scorching even through the fabric. The shopkeeper only nodded at that, shocked into silence and face flushed. The couple shared a smile as they walked out of the shop. They were ready for the second part of their plan.

* * *

“We're kidnapping you.” This was the first time both of them came to the shop out of their own will. Urahara blinked up at them from his notes, not hiding his surprise all that well.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You will be spending the day with us. Out of your little lab and away from the shop.” Lilly told him matter of factly as Ichigo went to pull him up to his feet.

“I would be honoured to do that, however, I must return to my work urgently.” He tried shrugging of Ichigo's grip.

“Cut the crap Kisuke.” Bingo. The scientist was frozen by Ichigo's statement. “We've been both too busy for the last two weeks to visit, and you seem to have used that time to slip back into your old looks and behaviour.”

“And a day away won't kill you.” She latched onto his other side, pulling him along. “Besides, maybe giving your brain a break will give you a boost when you return to it tomorrow. Think about it, Kisuke.” Her touch was burning and her eyes seemed to shine with something otherworldly behind them, and Urahara made the mistake of glancing at them. Ichigo knew it wasn't exactly ethical (Who was he kidding? It was not ethical at all), but they needed to do this in order for their plan to work.

“Fine, kidnap me. But don't come to me when something bad, that could have been avoided if I stayed here, happens.”

“We can handle it.” He told Kisuke, letting go of his arm so Lilly could drag him off towards his room.

“It's a deal. Now, go take a shower and put these on. We're not going out with you looking like a bad cosplayer.”

* * *

He looked surprisingly good in the black jeans and green jumper she had bought him the other day. And maybe a little more vulnerable. He did seem to use his outfit like an armour after all, at least from what she had gathered.

“Save it. It's my treat.” She told him when he opened his mouth, eyes trained onto his sleeves. That seemed to engulf him. Sweet gods, this boy was an idiot. “I have a lot of money to burn, so it won't inconvenience me in any way if I buy you clothes. Or fund the day's outing.”

* * *

They spent the day at the mall and the new skating rink, where Lilly showed off, in Ichigo's opinion, that she had taken figure skating lessons before the accident. After that, they ended up in her apartment, which, even if it was in the wealthier part of Karakura, seemed like a glass-walled shoe-box compared to her house back in England, or the one in Hungary. Or, Hell, to the house she was renovating at the edge of the town.

Nestled between them on the low couch, cheeks pink from the cold and their proximity, Urahara still looked a bit lost. Maybe it was the fact that the sleep-shirt, which originally belonged to Lilly, he was wearing was an almost perfect fit, or his eyes darting around every few seconds, hand clenched on the controller Ichigo had shoved into his hands, but Ichigo wanted to protect him from everything that could pose a threat, no matter how big. And from the looks Lilly was shooting in his direction, she was feeling the same.

“Come on, Bakainu. If you learned how to use the phone, you'll learn how to play with us too.”

* * *

Ichigo kissed him the next morning, while Lilly was making breakfast. The shopkeeper tried protesting, bringing up his age, his history, the fact that they were still together and she was facing them, everything under the sun to justify rejection.

“I would have kissed you too, Kisuke. I just don't like kissing. And I don't mind sharing.”

* * *

“We're going to borrow your training ground for today.” She tells Urahara a day later, motioning Orihime to follow her. She had spent long hours training the girl up to her standards, and today was the day she would use Asagiri against her. He nods, not meeting her eyes, and deflates when she only pats him on the shoulder, disappearing under the trapdoor.

* * *

“That's an interesting way of wearing the shihakusho.” Is the first thing that slips down his mouth when he drops down after Orihime leaves. When he had first seen her spirit-form, she was still wearing her normal clothes. Now, she wore the black, mid-thigh haori over bandages and shorts, and instead of the customary sandals, she had black, heeled thigh-high boots on.

“You'd change too if your Bankai included tight armour over loose hakama. It's not pleasant at all.” She turned towards him fully, smiling, and his eyes trailed down the open neck of her haori, ears pink. “Plus, I get a better grip with these and I can even hide my weapons in the sole.”

“But why would you need any other weapon when you can have all of them in one?”

“Asks one former assassin the other. We're always prepared for anything, Bakainu.” She tells him from the trapdoor, motioning him to follow. “And when you plan to fight besides Ichigo, you cover every base.”

* * *

“How did you know I had started developing feeling for you?”

“I wasn't trained to always hide in the shadows, like you. I had to entertain people to get information out of them, and reading one's body and reactions became almost second nature. And I knew what signs to look for.”

“Entertain me.”

“Loving Ichigo is like breathing. You start doing it subconsciously, then one day you realize you've been doing it and you can't live without it. He's your sun and your king, and you'll follow him to the ends of the world and do the unthinkable just to make him happy. And all with the knowledge that he'll do the same for you. And I think now, that I experienced it, I see the signs to look for. But loving me..is complicated. Or maybe easy. I never really grasped how to do it. But Ichigo just cares for me, all of me. He said that loving me was like existing in the eye of the storm, never knowing if he'll resist the pull or give in to the wind. He has this look when he thinks I can't see him. Somewhere between a smile and a scowl, with eyes so warm I can't even put it into words. And I'm beginning to see that warmth in your expression too.”


	6. Wink at Death when he looks at you. Then take his crown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quincies attack. And unexpectedly, the universe throws another hurdle in their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write to music, and a few works ago I started the habit of sharing certain songs that go with the chapters. And out of the many songs I listen, I've chosen "Not today" by BTS, which is also their theme song in my head, and "The Purge Remix and Dyne Halloween intro mashup".

“What do you know about the Ragnarok?” She asks them one random evening, knees hugged to her chest.

“Isn't that the end of the world in Norse mythology?” Urahara responds. Ichigo is vaguely familiar with the phrase, but he never really looked into it.

“Yes. When the monsters and the dead will rally against the gods and the fallen warriors will be summoned together by Heimdall's horn in order to keep on fighting for their world.”

“What brought this up?”

“A gut feeling. Soon, I'll need to release my Bankai, and I want you two to be prepared when all of my armies come to turn tides.”

* * *

“Lucifer...” He breathes out when he first sees her in Soul Society. She growls at him, golden eyes shining with blood lust from the pale kitsune mask on her face. Her hands are coated in blood and there are nine fiery tails moving behind her, with Asagiri is at her hip, sealed and useless.

“You can't use him?” Her growl is almost desperate, tilting her head to the side like a cat. Ichigo reaches out to run his hand through her hair, also scratching behind a white ear. “We'll fix it, okay? Just try to hold out.”

Her clothes are torn where she took a fatal blow meant for Unohana just so they could keep their best medic and where an arrow pierced through her stomach, the black cloth hanging loose over freshly healed skin, and even parts of her booths are missing, the material burnt. From what he picked up from Hiyori's curses, Lilly lost her connection with Asagiri and decided to hollowify herself in order to survive.

* * *

At first, he thinks nothing of one of the many Reiatsu signature's disappearing. Another casualty lost to the war, and besides, he's more focused on beating the Quincy that had trapped them in a bubble of poison. Then, armoured men appear around him out of flickers of flames, placing their shields protectively around him. Another two hold back Grimmjow, while yet another two force Askin to his knees, a third pushing a blade against his neck. They don't have pupils, from what he can see, and they are clothed in ancient armour, growling when one of them tries to move from the position they were pushed into.

The air pressure changes and a ball of flames materializes between them, a vague figure appearing in the flames. The blaze then disperses, destroying the Gift Bereich.

Urahara sees the wings first. They are gigantic, covered in dark blue, purple and black feathers, and golden armour, dwarfing over the person they're attached too. The soldiers around him bend their knee to the new arrival, while the others only lower their head. Their footsteps are heavy from their armour as they approach Askin, the soldier holding the blade to the Quincies neck pulling his head back by his hair. A golden spear glints in the sunlight, shape familiar.

“ _When the monsters and the dead will rally against the gods and the fallen warriors will be summoned together by Heimdall's horn in order to keep on fighting for their world_.” Rings through his head just as Lilly starts talking. He can't feel her Reiatsu anymore, but there's still a heavy feeling in the air like he should be glowering at her feet.

“You thought you'd be able to endanger someone dear to us and get away unscathed?” There's a male voice talking alongside hers, and he's frozen in place. Askin opens his mouth to speak, only to get the blade showed in between his teeth. “You wanted to see what a fake god would make of your world? I know just the place for you.” With a flash, her spear disappeared, and her voice became even more hollow. “ _I call upon you, Osiris, Lord of the Dead, beloved of Isis and father of Horus. I call upon you, judge of the damned, punisher of sins and giver of peace. Your son asks for you, to give you a soul, to take what is right and give what is due. An arm for an arm, an eye for an eye, a life for a life._ ”

She places a hand onto his face, the Quincy beginning to scream in pain just as Kisuke felt his scars burn, the stitches disappearing and skin knitting together. For a moment, he was blind again. He heard the wind ruffle her feathers, Askin screaming, chains rattling and someone being dragged away.

* * *

Yhwach is stopped by a shield appearing out of a burst of flame.

“Sorry we're late,” Lilly tells him, hidden behind a mountain of feathers he thinks are wings. “We needed to show some idiots what divine wrath really looked like.” Kisuke is also with her, looking slightly beat-up and pink around his face.

“Doesn't matter, you're here now.” He grunts, letting her Reiatsu wash over him and heal him. There are others too, dead soldiers holding off the living, all clad in the same dark blue and gold of her armour. “Shall we finish him together?”

“I was dying to try my Burning Hirashin.” He can't help the snort and Lilly snaps to glare at him. “Not like that. Horus is a sky god, he has other attributes than burning with the strength of the Sun. Kisuke?”

“I think this humble shopkeeper would also like to show his complaints to the esteemed leader of the Quincy.”

“Great.” She pulls apart her spear, turning the halves into the two khopeshes she favoured. “Let's kill this bitch.”

* * *

“Are those...titans?”

“Yep.”

“Mythological, Greek titans?”

“Exactly.” They were standing near the ruins of the Palace, Yhwach's corpse at their feet. Gigantic bodies were appearing in the distance, their skin glowing in bright colours and heads growing different elements of nature instead of hair.

“Can we take them on?”

“Most likely. Back home I killed one of them by brute force alone, and we have that in spades.” She shrugged, giving the corpse a kick. “And besides, we could stick one to the throne and forget about this megalomaniac conqueror and his daddy issues.”

“It wouldn't endanger us? Someone needs to be connected to all three realms to sit on the throne.”

“They are partially divine. Although we could still make a compromise and pin this ass to it. And no, don't even think about it, Bakaoni. If you dare to even look at that throne for too long, every single soldier of mine will be on your ass.” He raised his hands defensively when she pointed a khopesh at him, while Urahara raised a sleeve to his face to hide his laughter.

“I won't even dream about it, love. I promise. I'm not leaving you anytime soon.” She nodded, then turned towards the still snickering Urahara, one of the swords still raised

“You too, mister. You just started opening up to us, and we're not going to lose all of this progress just because you were reckless.”

“Understood. Which one do we target?”

“The one who looks like he has galaxies on his head. Cronos.”

“Didn't he eat his own children?”

“Never said we needed him alive.”

* * *

Shinji is the first to find them after the titans are defeated. They're laying in the rubble, surrounded by gigantic mutilated or charred corpses, Lilly working on reattaching one of Ichigo's legs.

“I knew that you,” he points at Urahara, who waves back in response, “could be a terrifying opponent, but all of you combined are...straight out of my worst nightmares. With the mad scientist over there, the pyromaniac mass murderer and...”

“Stab-happy powerhouse?” She offers, and Ichigo pats her arm, too exhausted to really hit her. The titans had brought around their siblings as a second wave.

“That. If you ever attack Soul Society, I'm either joining you or saving my ass.”

“We'll make sure to notify you in advance, Hirako-san,” Urahara tells him, testing his freshly healed wrist.

“Yeah, yeah. By the way, Yoruichi is going to have your head when she finds out you ran off to get into more fights.”

“He was in good hands,” Ichigo responded first, inspecting his reattached leg. Lilly sat back with a sway, then fell onto Kisuke's stomach.

“And Yoruichi-san will have to wait for us if she doesn't want to come here personally. We're not getting up anytime soon.” The other two groaned in agreement and Shinji chuckled at the exhausted mess they made. These were the saviours of the worlds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prayer is made up, and for those curious, her Bankai is called "Divine wrath of the Morning mist"(Asagiri no Kaminoikari). I based the blade's powers on Horus' eyes. To quote Britannica, his "right eye was the sun or morning star, representing power and quintessence, and whose left eye was the moon or evening star, representing healing." His theme is "Inferno" by B3RROR, and his form is based on the second picture: https://quarkmaster.tumblr.com/post/175802133689/egyptian-pharaoh-horus-ares  
> And yes, Ichigo knows about 'Naruto', because let's be real, he's a huge nerd.


	7. We fell in love with every sunrise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vague smut at the end of the chapter.

“Would you mind explaining this?” There's a box of birth control placed onto Ichigo's textbook and he silently curses the fact that Lilly's in England at the moment.

“Birth control?” He plays the ignorant card, blinking up at Urahara.

“If I remember correctly, Lilly-chan doesn't need it, and neither Ururu nor your sisters come here often enough.”

“Well...they aren't for them.” His hands itch for his phone, desperate to call Lilly and have her explain everything.

“Oh? And then why were they in the bathroom then?”

“Lilly put them there. After she got them from the doctor.”

“You're hiding something from me, Ichigo-kun.” He shut his book, scooting back from Kisuke's searching and slightly judgmental gaze.

“Back when you had your first fight with Lilly.” He told the wall over Urahara's shoulder, trying his hardest not to look at the blond. “You were knocked out and your clothes were in ruins so I asked her to grab you a change of clothes. And she found some old clothes tucked away in your closet.”

“They could have belonged to Yoruichi-san and I was only storing them,” Kisuke told him from behind his fan, eyes shadowed.

“They could have belonged to Yoruichi. However, they stunk of sex, blood and tansy, and even if Yoruichi-san would have chosen to go down that path, her scent didn't match up to the one on the clothes.”

“So you managed to figure out my little secret.”

“I had the cultural knowledge and she had the literal experience. At first, she was only observing you. She was angry on my behalf for the roles you played in my life, and she wanted to know what made you tick.” The words, now that he had started with his explanation, come much easier. He dares to glance at Kisuke, but he only looks conflicted, like he's forcing himself to stay in one place. “Then she started seeing what I saw in you. She even understands you better than I do. They were my idea, the pills. I waited until she was warmed up to you, then told her what I had been planning. You always call yourself a 'pervert' and judging from the speed Lilly and I moved at first, we wanted to cover all of our bases.”

“Excuse me, Ichigo-kun, but I need to take care of something.”

“Sure, take your time.”

* * *

Ichigo wakes up with a familiar mess of curls on his face. Lilly was curled up on his right side, arms thrown across his chest and Kisuke's shoulders. He'd called her after his talk with Kisuke while the other had disappeared into the bedroom, and looks like she decided to end her trip early.

She groans in protest when he tries to move, snuggling closer to his chest. Kisuke also makes a small noise when she pulls him closer, nails digging into his bare skin. Even their legs were tangled up, the blanket mushed under them. He was trapped between the two. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he let his head fall back into the pillows. There was luggage near the door, clothes were thrown onto the armchair, and the shades were drawn. He could still go back to sleep.

* * *

Eventually, he weasels out of the bed when Lilly rolls off him. They shuffle around behind him more, and when he looks back, it looks like two octopi got glued together, and both of them are going to wake up with hair in their mouth.

He returns twenty minutes later, a fresh cup of coffee in hands, to see both of them sitting up, Kisuke curled up against Lilly. She looked up when he opened the door, expression sad but eyes determined. Ichigo turns to leave them alone, only to stop when she motions him to come back to bed.

Setting down his cup on the nightstand next to Urahara's hat and a mountain of pins that Lilly had in her head, he moved behind his girlfriend, pulling both her and Kisuke against his chest.

“I could get used to cuddling every time one of us gets upset.”

“We'd never get out of bed then.” Kisuke bites back, snaking his arms across both of them.

“Eh, could be worse.”

“Says the cat with the human body.” Lilly stuck her tongue out but still started purring. They were a weird bunch of people.

* * *

The house she'd been renovating is done six months after the end of the war. The large, Normandy style house is nearly a manor, hidden by a massive garden, and she proudly tells him, on his first tour of the house, that it could fit all the people dear to them. There are huge bay windows overlooking the river and the forest and ward-stones in every single available corner of the garden. Not even the Soul King could have gotten through those protections.

In the warm, western-style rooms of the house, Kisuke looks out of place, like a ghost trailing after the new owners of his old land. They reach a door leading to the cellar, and Lilly switches over to dragging the blond, across the traditional Japanese style rooms and the empty spaces where he could build a new lab and training ground.

“These are why the construction lasted so long. Last-minute additions tend to be harder to manage.” She explains, pushing back her flower crown which fell into her eyes when she jumped around too much.

* * *

They fall into bed together with drunken grace in the master bedroom of the new house. Lilly can't hold her liquor anymore, Ichigo is new to drinking and Kisuke had not drunk anything stronger than tea for a couple of months now. She's drunkenly giggling while the guys are making out, pants halfway pulled down and topless.

Ichigo breaks the kiss first, pulling her into the mess of limbs, pulling her hair and exposing her neck for them to ravish. There are hands in his pants and on his chest and fuck knows who is who by now. She breaks off eventually, straddling Kisuke and starting to mouth a trail down from his neck to his groin. Ichigo blinks at her, processing, then shrugs, leaning down to do the same on her back. Her spine was sensitive enough.

They are in a tangle of limbs, clothes thrown all around them and hair in a mess. All of them ended up with bite and scratch marks, with Lilly still on top of Kisuke and Ichigo balls deep in the blond, hands almost glued to Lilly's chest.


	8. And danced across the stars at night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wedding dress is just this one: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8jiD-BAU4-/ by Linda Friesen but in white.

Lilly comes down late for breakfast one morning. She's wearing one of Ichigo's sweaters, hair in an even bigger mess than usual. Going straight up to Kisuke, she loops a chain around his neck with a whispered “ _for the liquor cabinet_ ” and she's gone, just as soundlessly, back upstairs.

“It's the anniversary of the car crash.” He tells the blond, pouring himself more juice. Right now, she just needs to be alone for an hour or two, then he'll have to take her out of the house. “Locking up the liquor cabinet is new though.”

“Maybe she should not spend the day here? We could have a quiet day back at the Shouten?”

“Give her an hour first.”

* * *

Shinji, Hiyori and Byakuya visit them the same day at the Shouten. Ichigo is listening to Kisuke rave about his newest invention while Lilly is working on paperwork, staring off into the distance every so often when Tessai lets them in, Byakuya looking ready to stab one of the blondes accompanying him.

“Cousin Byakuya, Hirako-taichou and Sarugaki-fukutaichou, what a surprise! If I knew you were coming, I would have brought out my mother's best china!” Her voice is deadpan, eyes tired, but Ichigo still has to hide his snicker. He'd seen the china set she was talking about. It was packed away in the attic of her new house, next to his own mothers. Every handle and bowl looked like it was made from delicate little vines and there were miniature artworks in almost every piece. He had no problem with imagining Byakuya using them, but Hiyori and Shinji on the other hand? His in-laws would have an aneurysm.

What followed was a brief declaration of 'we wanted to catch up' and 'check-in', interrupted by a Hell-butterfly from Kūkaku, telling Ichigo he might need to prepare a speech in the near future because she was ready to fight some people into letting him become her heir. The Captains share glances, and Ichigo can swear he heard Lilly growl.

“Did I ever mention Asagiri can activate and fight on his own?” The question is barely audible, but all of them freeze. Her smile is serene, eyes on the wall behind Shinji's head.

“I don't think you ever did,” Kisuke tells her, flipping his fan open.

“Maybe. He likes to sit back and let me use his power, but he can see everything I do, and will intervene if needed.” Her smile is empty, the shoulders of her shadow fluttering, like a bird moving its wings. “Besides, Horus will only act up if one of us is in danger and I'm incapacitated.”

“There's nothing better than a loyal Zanpakuto,” Byakuya tells her, mild as milk, then stands up. “I won't impose anymore. Urahara-san, Kurosaki-san thank you for your hospitality. Hirako-taichou and Sarugaki-fukutaichou, we'll see each other soon.”

“I'll walk you out, Byakuya.”

“And while you're at it, I'll get Tessai to make us some tea. Entertain our guests, Ichigo!” Kisuke disappears before Ichigo can yell after him, followed by Byakuya and Lilly just a few steps behind the shopkeeper.

* * *

The blond returns first, with a tray and a drunk Yoruichi on his tail. She flops down between Ichigo and Kisuke, ending up in both of their laps. Lilly trails in five minutes later, with red-rimmed eyes and her hair down, only to freeze in the doorway when she spots the other cat in the room.

Surprisingly, Kisuke reacts first, almost jumping up to lead her over, pushing a cup of tea into her hands and pulling her almost into his lap. The conversation flows above her, snuggled into Urahara's side glaring straight ahead, a touch of Hollow tinting her Reiatsu every time Yoruichi moved. As territorial as a lioness with the mane of a lion, Ichigo chuckled, declining when Yoruichi pushed a sake-bottle in his direction.

* * *

“He told me he had his men looking for my family in the Rokunagi. To make sure they'll have a happy afterlife.” She tells them after the other Shinigami leave and they are tucked away in Kisuke's bedroom. “And it just hit me that I never really realized what happened to them. I was so caught up on jumping dimensions, on losing my friends to something I had no power stopping. There, I lost my blood-related family early, and the Organization recruited me out of a foster home.”

“Lilly...” Ichigo whispers, and the boys sandwich her between them.

“Sometimes I feel like a monster for just forgetting I lost the first ever people to fully support and love me.”

* * *

“Did you ever think about kids? You've been together for almost three years now.” Karin asks them one warm summer afternoon, sprawled out in the gardens of her – _It's ours Ichigo, Kisuke, not just mine_ – their house. Yuzu and Ururu were braiding flower crowns, Yoruichi was sleeping on one of their blankets while Jinta and Tessai were putting away the food they had brought out with them. Ichigo was reading in the shade, leaning against a tree, while Lilly was sketching the flowers growing next to the gate, Kisuke watching her work from her lap.

“We talked about it a while ago. I think adoption would be the best option. Less traumatic for all of us.” He told his sister, raising a brow when he saw Yoruichi's ears twitch, the cat suddenly changing her position.

“We'll see what the future brings us, Karin-san.” Kisuke also adds, giving Lilly a small smile when she glanced down at him, surprised.

* * *

“Yoruichi-san is aware of his...circumstances,” Ichigo tells her when they're washing the dishes, Kisuke entertaining their guests. “Her behaviour changed when I mentioned that a pregnancy would be traumatic.”

“And yet, she did nothing when he was selling himself to get them money.” The tint of Hollow returns to her Reiatsu, her eyes glowing golden in the setting light of the Sun. “Should we..?”

“I don't think their relationship would survive. Look at what happened when he found out they were cousins.” She grimaced, scrubbing the sink clean from any remaining suds. Kisuke had taken to treating Yoruichi with cold politeness and barely veiled indifference, this behaviour going on for almost two months.

* * *

Lilly disappears from his side in a whirlwind of coloured silks and flowery perfumes, and Ichigo's left alone for a frightening moment. His eyes widen, taking in the decked out crowds and the decorated halls until there's a warm grip on his wrist and Kisuke appears by his side.

“I feel like a farce.” He whispers to the blond, smiling and nodding when another random noble congratulates him on his new status in the Shiba clan and his engagement to Lilly.

“Just hang on for one more hour. Then we can finally go home.”

“It'd be a lot easier without these on.” The ceremonial robes of his clan are heavy and suffocating in the large crowds and fire-lit rooms. Kisuke snaps his fan open in response, trying to cool him down a little. “Has anyone complained about you yet?”

“You can't fight everyone who disagrees with your views, Ichigo-kun.” He swats at him with the fan, eyes trailing over the crowds, momentarily stopping in Kyōraku's general direction. "And besides, I know how to take care of myself."

"I know," Ichigo growled out, starting to move when he saw another group of old ladies approaching them. He hoped to the gods Kūkaku or Ganju would step in soon because he was done with being quiet and polite. “Doesn't mean I have to like it.”

“I do believe the inner gardens were not opened to the public.”

* * *

Lilly finds them in what seems like an eternity later, sitting down next to them with an annoyed huff.

“I can't believe how nosy people can be! 'Are you aware you fiance already has a paramour? What will people think of you sullying your family?' Do I look blind to them?! Or stupid? Just because their old wrinkly asses couldn't notice their partner having an affair doesn't mean I am in the same boat! Or even the same body of water!”

“Easy, love. They're just looking for drama. And imagine their confusion when they find out you're cheating on me with the same person.”

“'You won't believe who I saw having dinner at that new place on the corner between those streets. That Kuchiki girl who's trying to marry the heir of the Shiba and the former Captain of the Twelfth. You know, the one who lives in the Transient world. The disgrace!” Kisuke raised his voice to a falsetto, holding his fan like one of the women back in the celebration.

* * *

They watch Lilly stare at a mirror with bored curiosity. She'd been at it for what seemed like hours, changing from human to cat, then back to human, disappearing completely then appearing on the other side of the room. At one point, she even materialized her Hollow-mask, growling in frustration when something didn't go as planned.

Eventually, she stops, sitting down onto the ground with an empty look. They had pulled their work out in the meantime, waiting for her to finish and tell them what the problem was.

“My powers are gone. I can't change my form anymore.”

When they first got together, and he started leaving clothes behind in her apartment, he had to manoeuver around piles of over-sized clothing and shoes in every size out there. Lilly was always changing small details about her body unconsciously, and over the years, he got so used to it, he didn't even notice she had been the same for a while.

“I'm finally over the old Lucifer.” She smiles at them, wiping away her tears. He feels his shoulders relax (when did he become so tense?) and Kisuke nods, going back to his papers. “I'll start cooking lunch. Any preferences?”

* * *

The wedding of Kurosaki Ichigo and the pretty and wealthy foreigner is the event of the year in Karakura. They hold a western-style ceremony, and there are people on the groom's side that the town had never seen, and a bunch of posh and well-dressed Brits on the wife's side, faces hidden behind lacy fans and veiled hats. There are whispers too, about a third member in the relationship, the owner of that old candy-shop that never seems to have any costumers.

They get married in the spring, the old butler of her family walking the bride down the aisle. Kurosaki's wearing a simple black tux and even Blackmoor is underdressed, according to some of the public opinion. Looking like a medieval queen, her dress was simple and white, with cape sleeves and a plunging neckline that has many elders shaking their heads at the amount of skin she'd shown. It would make waves though, the simple design and the ornate shoulders giving her a figure worthy of envy.

* * *

“Dance with me, Mrs Kurosaki?” Kisuke bows before her, hand extended for her to accept.

“It would be my pleasure, Urahara-san.” They are under the open night sky, a canopy of wisteria and lanterns giving everything a fairy-tale feeling. “What did Fred say? I saw him accost you after the toasts.”

“Nothing worth worrying about.” He spun her, the heavy fabric flowing around her like a lazy river. “He mentioned something about your grandparents being in a similar situation and a Mister Anderson.”

“I'll have to look into my grandmother's diary for this one.” She smiled at Ichigo and his sisters dancing by them, Isshin's drunken cries accompanying the music. “I'm so glad Ishida-san had volunteered to babysit our father-in-law for today. I would have stabbed him even before the ceremony started.”

“Don't mind him, Lilly-chan. Shiba-san has never reached the emotional maturity needed to become a functioning human adult.”

“Says the walking explosion-magnet who thinks eating and sleeping are for the weak.”

“That's why I have you two to help me.”

“Flattery will not get you out of cleaning duty, Kisuke-kun.” She sing-songs, eyes trained onto his face and head tilted to the side. “You look younger without the stubble. It's weird to see how much of a difference it makes.”

“Too bad I'm still older than you.”

“Only physically. I've been around since the birth of dimensions, after all. Now, how many Shinigami do you think will try to do the Macarena with us to blend in?”


	9. Our secrets run deep under our skin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lil' NSFW chapter over here. But nothing truly explicit. Featuring more bogus biology!  
> Sidenote: I'm officially on the way of becoming a special ed teacher!

She'd never been ashamed of her scars. It was just skin, and they were left there by her own hands. ' _You look like you got mauled by a wild animal_ ' her old Horus had told her once, watching the jagged scars stretch across her back when they were getting ready for a spar. It was her default form after all, and loving one's body was all the rage back in her old dimension.

The car crash leaves behind her old scars on her new body, and she only lets out a fond sigh when she spots them in the mirror, the nurses averting their eyes from the raised pink lines marring her skin. Ichigo, on the other hand, explores every line and nick, touch almost reverent the first time she bares herself, both of them clad only in moonlight.

* * *

He has a kink, as embarrassing it may be. He has no idea how to explain the effects some of her actions have on him. Lilly laughs and twirls around, his shirt acting more like a dress on her. Their dinner is cooking on the stove behind her when she grabs the rag, using it as her main prop when she dances along the beat of the song, smile playful and eyes full of promises. For all intents and purposes, this is only a bastardization of striptease, but it still gets his blood boiling.

Getting up, he walks over to her, to turn the stove off. She smiles at him, pulling him down to her level by his collar.

“ _I'm gonna ride till I can't no more..._ ” She sings along, voice barely above a whisper against the blaring guitars of the song. He grabs her waist, pushing her towards the counter. Better give her a chance to prove her claim.

* * *

“Ichigo-kun...I'm bored.” The blond almost threw himself at Ichigo, nearly knocking his laptop off the table.

“And I'm busy. Go bother someone else.”

“We're the only one here. And Lilly-chan locked the door to the lab before she left.” Kisuke almost whined, face propped up on one of his hands and the other playing with the hem of his clothes. Ichigo looked at him with a raised eyebrow, then shook his head, saving the document he was working on and closing his laptop.

“I'll entertain you for now, but as soon as the others return, I'm continuing my essay. Now, what do you want to do?” Kisuke shifted around, the hand supporting his head falling between his legs.

“I'm up for anything, Ichigo.” His face was lightly flushed, reminding Ichigo of Lilly that one time she forgot to fully change back into a human from a cat.

“Get on the table.”

“What are you planning on doing here, Ichigo? We use this table daily.” But he was still scooting forward.

“We do that with the table in the apartment too. Or a public bathroom.” He moved the blond until he was kneeling between his spread knees. “Plus, you're acting like a cat in heat, and we need to solve that problem.” He pulled apart his clothes, running his palms over flushed, warm skin. “Now, I don't have neither condoms and lube with me, so you can choose between my hands and mouth.”

“Ichigo-kun...”

“I'll warn you now, this was Lilly's department. So don't expect big things.”

* * *

She pulls him up from his notes, twirling to the sounds of piano and trumpets coming from the speakers. They dance around the table, followed by someone singing about breakups in French. He spins her around at ' _All the same_ ', freezing when their eyes meet, hers full of heavy feelings and barely-there promises.

Later, when she's sweaty and arching under his touch, their eyes meet again. Something primal shines through, gold peeking out from lowered lids. She whispers his name like a prayer and no Frenchman singing about romance can beat those fleeting syllables. Ichigo finds them tangled in the sheets later, her hair sticking to his stomach as his neck starting to bruise.

“You were right. It's her department.”

* * *

“You know you don't have to do this, right?” Kisuke's question was almost drowned out by _Mambo no. 5_ and their laughter. Their breakfast was going to be burnt if they kept it up, but Ichigo couldn't really bring himself to care. With a spin, he moved out of Lilly's reach, his wife hellbent on removing his apron.

“But we wanted to.” She told him when Ichigo dove to catch a grape Kisuke threw at him. It bounced off his nose, landing on the tiles and rolling away as triumphantly as a fruit could.

“We have a lot of birthdays to make up to.” He added, pushing a generous helping of pancakes onto the kitchen table. Kisuke hummed along, getting up to grab the syrup and some fruits.

“And I got you guys dressed in those,” She pointed at his apron with a wink, “so you get us like this.” She shimmied her shoulders, the pom-poms on her Santa-dress bouncing around. He only had an apron on, blue and frilled with _One last candle to blow_ printed on it with an arrow pointing downward.

“And I have yet to bring out the whipped cream and chocolate.”

* * *

“You have a lot of clothes.” Orihime declares in awe, Rukia nodding along. Lilly pulls open the doors of one of the closets, then spins around, waving her hands at the neat stacks of clothes.

“I mainly wear these ones. The rest out here is communal.”

“Communal? You mean Ichigo might grab one of your skirts and wear it?” Tatsuki finally joined them, barely hiding her laughter.

“If he's distracted. But I mostly share them with Kisuke.” 

Rukia gasps, pulling out a little lacy number, pale pink and corseted. Her cheeks are pink, eyes wide, and Lilly nearly chokes on thin air. She forgot that was out there.

"Orihime! Can you do Ichigo's scowl? I wanna see how he'd look like!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, they are listening to the rock version 'Old town road', by RichaadEB and Jonathan Young. I feel like it has a more stripper-y(is that a word?) vibe than the original. The second one is 'Tous les memes' by Stormae, slowed. And the last song doesn't need an introduction.  
> There was a part with a strap-on and a bewildered Urahara, but I couldn't exactly make it work. So for now, just imagine Lilly has a bright-pink strap-on that Urahara finds on accident.


	10. My world revolves around you, so I'll keep it spinning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A nice little chapter where we go from fluff to slight angst and back to fluff.

“What are you looking at?” Ichigo asks, reaching out for his girlfriend from across the bed. Lilly smiles at him, head resting on a pillow in her lap, and links their fingers together.

“Just admiring my beautiful boyfriend,” she tells him, and he snorts, pulling her closer. Lilly abandons her pillow, scooting over to run her fingers across his features.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re very pretty.” Ichigo leans up to kiss her cheek and she twined her arms around his shoulders. Leaning back, she pulled him along with her, and Ichigo snuggled closer.

“Would my love-struck girlfriend like to stay with me in bed for a while?”

“Absolutely.”

* * *

Lilly rounds the corner to Kisuke standing frozen outside Yoruichi's door. She speeds up, taking in his clenched fist and pinched expression, complexion pale. Someone’s speaking in the room, and she halts mid-step when she can finally hear what they’re talking about.

_“It should have burned along with its bitch of a mother, but Yoruichi-sama was too kind-hearted to let it die.”_

“Kisuke…” His head snaps towards her, even though her voice is barely above a whisper. Approaching him with spread hands, palms turned upwards, her heart nearly breaks at his expression. She had planned on him eventually finding out about his biological family, but not like this. Never like this.

“Ichigo was getting pretty antsy when I left to do my rounds. Could you please check on him?” Making her voice as soft as possible, she placed a hand on his elbow, turning him away from the door. “Can you do that for me, love?”

He only nods, movements stiff and robotic. With a pointed look, her shadow shudders and Horus breaks off, joining Kisuke. She turns towards the door, where the old windbags were still complaining about Kisuke. Just go in, check if Yoruichi was finally stable, then leave. Don’t threaten anybody and don’t kill them. She could do this.

* * *

“Can I help you, Cousin?” Looking up from the medical records, she turns towards the doorway. Byakuya looks mildly worried.

“Rukia came to me with some rather interesting information regarding your lover.”

“Oh, really? Do tell, Cousin. What did Ichigo do now?” She turns back to the shelves, placing the scrolls back in their original order. Those Shinigami were still alive.

“She spotted him being...rather intimate with Urahara-san.”

“Okay. At least he did what he was told.”

“Urahara-san?” He raises an eyebrow at her comment, and she shoots back a worried smile.

“Yes. He overheard some rather harmful...gossip a while back, and since Ichigo has a calming effect on him, I sent Kisuke after him.” He nodded and she placed two more scrolls into a box near her feet.

“What kind of ‘gossip’?”

“The kind that involves relatives and possible deaths. You know, things a Shihoin would be an expert in.” He blinks at her, then nods.

“And aren’t you worried about Ichigo getting too close to Urahara-san?”

“No. After all, Ichigo isn’t worried about me getting close to Kisuke either.”

* * *

“Office hours are over,” Lilly tells the person entering the records room. The person only chuckles, sitting down next to her onto the ground.

“Good thing I’m not here for those. I see you’ve been busy.” Kisuke remarks, staring at the boxes surrounding them, full of medical records not in use anymore. There was a folder at her feet too, notes poking out from it.

“At least I could do this,” she mumbles, slumping against Kisuke. Her entire body feeling like it was on fire, joints aching with every move.

“Everything alright?”

“I should be asking you that,” she snorts, pushing the folder towards her...boyfriend? Lover? Shared side-piece? She needed to talk with Ichigo about this. “I might have gone on a little adventure on my lunch-break.”

There’s an unmistakable Onmitsukidō seal on the front of the folder, but the name's blocked off. He pulls the folder towards him, opening it just enough to read the name printed onto the first page.

"Lilly-chan...what do you want from me?" He asks, staring at his hands, and Lilly shifts to face him, letting out a soft hiss when the movement pulls at her wounds.

"Right now? A piggyback ride back to our bedroom. Other than that, just you."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. I want you with all of your faults and successes. Your high and your low-points and all your emotions and knowledge."

"Even with all the baggage I'll bring?"

"Did I stutter? I don't care about your upbringing and what people think about you, and neither does Ichigo. It would be the height of hypocrisy if we did. Hell, I had so many unflattering starts at life, I lost count of them. I even spent a couple of years as a tree once!"

* * *

“I was thinking,” Lilly tells him, letting out a jaw-breaking yawn. Kisuke glances at her, tightening his hold on her legs when she almost slips off in the process.

“About?”

“Ichigo’s birthday is coming up, so we should go on vacation. Visit America and go to Disneyland and take him to a Fall Out Boy concert. Just the three of us.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Yeah. And we’ll even stop in Hawaii and get weird tan-lines.”

* * *

“So, what did you find out?” Lilly turns towards him, some noodles hanging out of her mouth. Ichigo throws a napkin at her, glancing at the door to make sure Kisuke was not back yet. With a loud slurp, the noodles are gone and she wipes her mouth while glaring at him.

“Some old farts who thought you’re only keeping him around for breeding and profit,” he winced, expression darkening. “They’re not exactly important outside of the clan, but bear significant influence in it. It’s big enough that they could be in danger if someone was aiming to hurt the Shihoin.”

“So if a rogue Quincy was to seek revenge on Askin and since Yoruichi is unavailable…”

“They’d go for the unprotected ones since the main family would more be protected. Or a random Hollow angered by being left out of the fight would be good too.”

“Could you do it? Would that destabilize you further?”

“Don’t think so. After all, nothing happened after I got the information out of them. Stuff would happen mostly in their head. Tonight? I can claim restlessness due to my wounds if he asks.”

“Perfect,” just as the door opened and Kisuke walked in.

* * *

“I remember her,” Kisuke tells them when the lights are out and they’re in bed. There’s a barely-there shock when Lilly appears at his side, sandwiching him between her and Ichigo. _I’m doing this for myself_ runs on repeat in his head. He was doing this for himself, and not because he felt the need to even things out between them “It’s hard to forget her when I see her face every time I look into a mirror.”

Her fingers bear claws when they run across his jaw, breath hot against his neck. Purring softly, she maps out his face and chest, while Ichigo places an arm around the both of them, whispering ‘it’s alright’ when he jerks away from her touch.

“I remember some bits and pieces from that night. She got me out, then ran back to help out one of the older women working there, who used to watch me while she was working. She tried her hardest to keep me happy and never said anything about my...father.”

“Sometimes, life is just unfair,” Ichigo mumbles into his hair, brushing away his...tears? When did he start crying?

There’s a tail wrapped around his wrist, and he buries his face in Lilly’s hair, hiding away from Ichigo’s gaze. They can’t make the feelings of hurt and longing go away. But they’re there for him, solid and in his reach, obscuring the rest of the world from him, and at the moment, that’s all he needs.

* * *

Three Shihuin elders are found catatonic the next morning, repeating only the word ‘quincy’ when addressed by other people. Lilly and Ichigo have blank expressions when he tells them about this, and he pretends that their behaviour is not a blatant hint to their involvement in the matter. It’s ruled as a rogue Quincy attack, and the world moves on after.

* * *

“Coffee?”

“Coffee,” he responds, and Ichigo grunts in acknowledgement, blindly grabbing at the cup Kisuke holds in his direction. Lilly pads in a few minutes after him, changing into a cat just to jump into his lap and go to sleep again. Kisuke pokes her, only to get a growl in response, Lilly tucking her head under a paw.

“I’ve been thinking,” Ichigo’s eyeing them over the rim of his cup, addressing Kisuke. He hums in response, absentmindedly petting the striped cat in his lap. “Are we considered necrophiles, zoophiles or homichlophiles?”

“Maybe a combination of all three of those. And I’d add dendrophile to the list too,” he tells him, trying to not jump up too high when there are nails digging into his thigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Homichlophile- Aroused by fog.  
> Dendrophile- Aroused by trees. 
> 
> And a quick confession: I hate writing smart characters. I always feel like I'm losing their essence and making them OOC. I can whip up emotional scenes in minutes, but writing like smart characters? Give me at least a month, for a page.


End file.
